2011/12DUDLEY CVS ANNUAL REPORT

Welcome//

Introduction from Chairman Once again it is my privilege to present the annual report of the activities of Dudley Council for Voluntary Service for the year ended 31st March 2012.

The aim of the company, to which we are all committed, is to provide the community of Dudley Metropolitan Borough with an efficient, high quality, service. This annual report provides evidence of our progress and achievements throughout the year. We have had many challenges, but notwithstanding continuing financial constraints, cutbacks and changing legislation, these have been met by hard work and dedication. The report highlights the fact that we have again enjoyed a considerable number of notable successes, but we know there are still many outstanding issues. Dudley CVS members have sought help from our staff and the volunteers who assist us so ably and so graciously. These requests have been dealt with in a very professional way by our staff and senior management, together with my fellow directors. I sincerely thank them all.

As I write this introduction in the summer of 2012, the implications and realities of significant public spending cuts are being felt by the whole community, yet I continue to be confident that Dudley CVS is well prepared and well equipped to face the challenges ahead of us. We will continue to provide our voluntary sector with excellent and relevant support and guidance.

Michael Abrahams Chairman

Treasurer’s Report It is again my pleasure to present the audited accounts of the company for the year ended 31st March 2012.

The relatively small surplus for the year is considered satisfactory, given the current economic climate. Unrestricted general funds remain adequate but would obviously not ensure the company’s future long-term existence without the continued support of our funders. We are, of course, constantly aware of the continuing financial pressures, but remain committed to our aims of working together in partnership with statutory funders, mindful of the problems we all face.

The company, through the Finance sub committee, continues to explore alternative sustainable funding sources and any other opportunities to diversify its income streams.

Finally, I record my usual thanks to our auditors, Worton Rock, fellow directors and Chief Officer for their support throughout the year.

Graham JonesTreasurer

As the economic recession continued, budgets were cut, resources reduced and decentralisation emerged, many of our partners, in all sectors, will have discussed and begun their own journeys of transformation. NHS reforms gathered pace as Clinical Commissioning Groups began to replace Primary Care Trusts and council departments and staff numbers shrank. The Localism Act will no doubt help to stimulate a new set of conversations and relationships with partners.

Radical operational changes will have been necessary in many organisations. Dudley CVS was no different; we faced unparalleled challenges during the period and we have undertaken some radical re-thinking to ensure we can continue as a sustainable and credible organisation, able to offer a realistic level of high quality support to meet the changing needs of the sector. Our 2012-2015 strategic plans outline this thinking and the need

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to adopt imaginative approaches to maintaining sustainability. This new thinking led to a successful bid of £322,540 from the Transforming Local Infrastructure programme (TLI). Our TLI plan aims to facilitate innovative and enterprising relationships across all sectors and provide voluntary and community organisations with increased entrepreneurial skills to run their own enterprises and bid for, and take on, public sector contracts and asset development.

While many things around us have ‘transformed’ the need for a strong, healthy and vibrant voluntary and community sector continues to gain in importance. Dudley CVS services and representation in the local community remain as relevant as ever; if not even more so. This report demonstrates how we successfully kept the voluntary sector informed and engaged in this change, hosting numerous information events and utilising all the communication channels at our

disposal. We have directly assisted local organisations in obtaining over a million pounds of grants at a time when funding sources are drying up. We have facilitated networking and partnership building and led the way on Our Society, Community Rights, Carer Forums and tackling child poverty in Dudley borough.

I would like to put on record my thanks to the CVS Board for their valued time, expertise and skills in helping to re-shape and re-think how a modern CVS can continue to operate in an ever-changing environment. I also thank all our funders, strategic partners and stakeholders for their continued support and confidence in Dudley CVS. Finally, our staff and volunteers, without whom none of the achievements showcased in this annual report would have been possible.

Andy Gray, Chief Officer

TransformaTion is the first word that springs to mind when compiling this 2011 - 2012 annual report.

Governed by an executive committee made up of 15 Directors, all of which are volunteers, we elect new Directors directly from our membership at our Annual General Meeting. This ensures all members of the committee have an excellent understanding of the local sector and the challenges it faces.

We are also part of a national network of Councils for Voluntary Service, the role and development of which has been guided by the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action for over sixty years. CVS is proud to be part of the heritage of Councils for Voluntary Service that stretches back to the 19th Century.

All members of the Committee are drawn from local voluntary and community groups. They have an excellent understanding of the sector and the challenges it faces.

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dudley cVs is an independent umbrella organisation supporting Voluntary and community actiVity. the organisation was established in 1973 and is incorporated as a limited company (1998105) and a registered charity (517766).

During 2011/2012 our Directors were:Chairman: Michael Abrahams

Vice Chairman: Mary Turner

Treasurer: Graham Jones

Elected members:Ann Adams Dudley Stroke Association

Simon Ashby Hawbush Project (resigned October 2011)

David Baker Albion Street Church

Jane Clarke Churches Housing Association Dudley District (CHADD)

Anne Evett Thomas Pocklington Trust

Sally Huband Age UK Dudley

Asima Khalid Apni Zaroorat Community Network

Tom Keys Dudley Wine & Beermaking Circle

Ruth Longville Black Country Foodbank

Allan Miles Dudley Federation of Tenants & Residents Association (DFTRA)

John Pestana Woodside Community Centre (Appointed October 2011)

Caroline Wickens Methodist Church (Dudley & Netherton Circuit)

Our core aims are to:

1Pro-actively identify needs in the local community and

facilitate improvement in service provision to meet those needs.

2 Assist local voluntary and community organisations

to function more effectively and deliver quality services to their users, members or constituents.

3 Facilitate effective communication or networking

and collaboration amongst local voluntary and community groups.

4 Enable the diverse views of the local voluntary

and community sector to be represented to external bodies, developing and facilitating structures which promote effective working relationships and two way communication.

5 Enhance the voluntary and community sector’s role as

an integral part of local planning and policy making.

6 Promote, facilitate and develop volunteering with

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cVs comprises a range of generic and specialist serVices designed to meet the Varying needs of the Voluntary and community sector.

Dudley CVS officers and members of Staff during 2011-2012:

Andy Gray Chief Officer

Graham Jones Treasurer

Jayne Emery Senior Development Officer

Kate Green Building Blocks Sustainability Officer

Lorna Prescott Senior Development Officer (Community Engagement)

Caroline Webb Senior Development Officer

Sue Aldridge Personal Assistant to the Chief Officer

Nicki Burrows Children’s Services Development Officer (appointed May 2011)

Beverley Fearn Administration Officer

Eileen Fielding Volunteer Centre Development Officer

Melissa Guest Communications Development Officer

Martin Jones Funding Officer

Gillian Lloyd Development Officer Interfaith Network (appointed October 2011)

Sharon McGlynn Carers Co-ordinator (appointed July 2011)

Brendan McKeown Information Officer

Becky Pickin Small Groups Development Officer

Dale Pickin Administration Officer

Kevin Priest Children’s Services Development Officer

Steve Sparrow Development Officer Interfaith Network (resigned September 2011)

Arnie Troxler Children’s Services Senior Development Officer (retired June 2011)

Geraldine Walker Community Care Development Officer

Dan Bladen Volunteer

June Bowen Volunteer

Ray Carter Volunteer

Joan Freeman Volunteer

Jean Round Volunteer

Bill Weston Volunteer

CVS pro-actively worked with local groups throughout the year, identifying new and previously unmet needs in order to ensure that we delivered the most effective services to meet those needs.

Some of the work undertaken in 2011 – 2012 included:

• Helping to unlock a £30,000 Getting People Involved grant on behalf of East Coseley. CVS was the lead organisation in the project and helped encourage the development of the East Coseley Community Forum, enhancing community connections and increased community activities. (see case study on page 12)

• Successfully bidding for Transforming Local Infrastructure funding totalling £322,540 to be used to facilitate innovative and enterprising relationships across all sectors and provide VCOs with increased entrepreneurial skills to bid for, and take on, public sector contracts and asset development.

• Helping to set up and administer the Fair Share Funding Panel. CVS officers advised and administered grants to, among others, Netherton Town FC (£675); Dudley Central Youth

Pact (£562); Star Youth (£1,000) and Baptist End Allotment Group (£778). The grants are helping with regeneration, increase educational achievement, employability and reducing vandalism or anti-social behaviour.

• Working with 107 Small Groups and making 189 successful interventions; including help with roles and responsibilities, sustainability and funding signposting. 36 Small Groups were assisted in successful grant applications totalling £66,363, an average of £1,843 per grant.

• Working jointly with Dudley Safeguarding Children’s Board (DSCB) and organisations supporting the Children’s, Young People and Families Network, CVS developed individually-tailored training packages including: Child protection; Food Safety; Emergency First Aid and On-line Internet safety. Over 100 paid staff and volunteers attended.

• Compiling a list of 130 local voluntary sports club from both in-house and external sources. This was used to create a NAVCA-approved Sports Engagement & Sports Network and followed up with a survey to ascertain levels of local knowledge about sports

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provision and two networking events.

• Supporting Dudley MBC in the development of Micro Services, (very small social care and support enterprises). Micro Services is part of the personalisation of health and social care needs and opens up more options for people, who fund or purchase their own care, to live the life they want.

• Organising 19 marketing and promotional information events for CVS member groups. The topics included; writing press releases, photography, promotional planning, event management, creating newsletters and dealing with the media. Tailored support was given as requested.

During 2012/2013 we aim to:

• Research and develop proposals for piloting workshops to engage with local citizens who are interested in setting up community-led projects that respond to local needs.

pro-actiVely identify needs in the local community and facilitate improVement in serVice proVision to meet those needs.1

The following pages give a brief insight into the work that was undertaken by CVS during 2010/2011

“i enjoyed the managing volunteers training. i feel you have equipped us with the knowledge needed to ensure our volunteers have a positive experience.”

During the last twelve months we continued to assist local voluntary and community organisations via our wide range of organisational development services. This has resulted in local groups being better placed and experienced in providing quality services to their users and members.

In 2011-2012 Dudley CVS helped organisations to become constituted, source funding and develop funding applications. We assisted the setting up of new groups, developing business plans and providing financial management guidance to voluntary groups. Some of the notable successes included:

• Our tracking systems identifying that, throughout the year, we supported 221 local and voluntary and community organisations with 732 interventions. The figures compare with 211 organisations and 721 interventions in 2010-2011.

• Launching Route Map, a step-by-step guide for small groups to follow. After 15 months of work by CVS officers. Route Map will help strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of small groups in Dudley borough. (See case study on page 12 )

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• Directly assisting 24 VCOs to raise £1,006,992 in the 12 month period. Including £293,061 for the What? Centre to expand its counselling services for young people and £198,907 for the Beacon Centre to provide outreach services over a five year period. One-to-one funding support was provided to 22 other groups and funding signposting to a further 11 groups to achieve grants totalling £492,659. CVS officers assisted in 48 funding applications adding up to £2,073,427.

• Hosting a total of 48 Building Blocks workshops, including 8 Intensive Building Blocks Toolkit Health Checks. An average of 13 Voluntary/Community Organisations (VCOs) were in the Building Blocks programme at any one time. 572 trustees, staff and volunteers have attended Building Blocks workshops since 2008. Extra funding for Building Blocks has been secured to enable the programme to continue.

• Appointing a Carers Co-ordinator to work as liaison at Russell’s Hall Hospital. The Carers Co-ordinator is signposting and enabling patients and carers to access specialist health care support from both within the NHS and voluntary sector agencies.

• Distributing £11,900 of Rant about the Grant funds to 40 different groups. Grants were approved for a wide variety of groups, including: Pre-school groups, Scout and Guides troops, sports clubs, community associations, youth clubs, and women’s groups.

• Helping 32 young people’s voluntary organisations to receive nearly £25,000 of Dudley Youth Service grants. In total, 3,555 young people, aged 13-19 (up to 25 years with a disability), benefited from £41,778 of Youth Opportunities funding.

During 2012/2013 we aim to:

• With partners, develop and deliver the Transforming Local Infrastructure project, including producing toolkits on commissioning and procurement, social enterprise and asset development.

assist local Voluntary and community organisations to function more effectiVely and deliVer quality serVices to their users, members or constituents.2

“We are very excited about having a solid and comprehensive business plan.”Marc Carter, Carers Cafe

Throughout the year, numerous events were arranged for colleagues within the sector and partners to network with each other. Many issues were debated and experiences shared.

Some of the work and events that were undertaken throughout 2011/2012 included: • CVS Children’s Services, together

with Children’s, Young People and Families Network hosting a multi-agency event to raise awareness of child poverty in Dudley borough. The event brought together over one hundred delegates representing 54 voluntary groups, charities and statutory bodies involved in child welfare. It was resolved that there should be a No-Nonsense approach to child poverty in Dudley. CVS officers also conceived and launched The Big Meal Deal and Donate Your Dinner Week campaigns to provide free meals for school children during holiday periods.

• Hosting ten Social Media

‘surgeries’ attracting 131 attendees and 87 interventions. The Social Media surgeries increased the online networking and communications skills of local voluntary sector groups. This enables them to raise their profile

and make useful connections, opening the door to learning from a wealth of online media.

• Re-designing the Echo monthly newsletter and CVS monthly E-bulletins. Requests to receive the electronic Echo version has increased by 30% in the last three years. More ‘traffic’ is being directed to the re-designed CVS website which is regularly updated with relevant information for the local voluntary, community and faith sectors. 229 news stories and calendar events were uploaded to the website in the twelve month period, leading to 17,018 hits. An average of nearly 50 visits per day.

• Arranging three Community Engagement Network events and delivering ten Community Engagement training sessions. The Community Engagement Network events attracted 68 delegates and addressed barriers and opportunities relating to engaging communities. 120 places were taken across the ten training courses costed at £8,300. The value of the training (if sourced from the private sector) would have between £15,000 and £25,000!

• Hosting and promoting three Voluntary Sector Network events to communicate and

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explore the implications of the Equality Act, Localism Bill and Health and Wellbeing Boards. A total of 114 people attended the events (34 at the Equality event; 25 at the Localism Bill event and 55 at the Health and Wellbeing event). The events led local statutory sector bodies to acknowledge the importance of voluntary sector organisations and to involve the sector in the roll out of the plans.

• Hosting and organising two Community First information and networking events for the nine Dudley wards that will benefit from a share of £610,000 Government funding over four years. The events enabled groups and individuals in each ward to develop panels that will take the Community First projects further. CVS also hosted a Community First information event for Dudley Borough Councillors, to take an active and constructive role.

During 2012/2013 we aim to:

• Explore how a range of social media tools can be utilised to encourage effective two-way communication with individuals, voluntary, community organisations and public sector organisations.

facilitate effectiVe communication or networking and collaboration amongst local Voluntary and community groups.3

Partnership work is a crucial part of the services CVS provides to the voluntary and community sector. Throughout the year we continued to act as a conduit to enable the diverse interests of the local voluntary and community sector to be represented to external agencies including local statutory partners.

Some of our achievements during the year included:

• Facilitating seven Community Rights events and conducting two community surveys to garner information about the ‘personalisation’ of health and social care and the support and services local people demand. The work resulted in an agreement that there has to be greater collaboration between all sectors. The project was carried out in partnership with Urban Forum a national organisation using a £50,000 research grant from the Cadbury Trust to offset costs.

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• Hosting a Where Next for the Voluntary Sector in the Black Country CVS Conference? Over 100 delegates discussed four major topics of relevance: economic development; health; localism and volunteering, resulting in an agreed joint action plan being developed with CVS colleagues from Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

• Continuing to work towards achieving asset transfer policies to help voluntary sector organisations. A draft assets transfer policy is being developed with cross sector partners to ensure vital buildings and land remain available for community use. The emerging assets transfer policy will integrate with CVS work with Community Rights.

• Enabling the development and launch of a Dudley Interfaith Newsletter by successfully bidding for £5,000 of Awards–for-All funding. The Interfaith newsletter will feature articles and views from different faiths in Dudley. One section will be exclusively for young people to write about faith from their perspective.

• Creating a Carers Week 2011 event, attended by 57 carers and 3 local Members of Parliament. The event celebrated and raised awareness of the work carers undertake and the issues facing them. This event was followed up by a Carers Rights Event in December 2011.

• Working with West Midlands Police and Phase Trust, CVS officers were involved in a Halesowen’s Got Talent event on 30th March 2012. The event gave a platform for thirteen acts to showcase their talents to an audience of nearly 200 people.

During 2012/2013 we aim to:

• Support and facilitate a range of effective networks which are inclusive, wide-ranging and needs-led that enable individuals, voluntary, community organisations and public sector organisations to share resources, work collaboratively, support each other and exert influence.

enable the diVerse Views of the local Voluntary and community sector to be represented to external bodies, deVeloping and facilitating structures which promote effectiVe working relationships and two way communication.4

“no organisation should set up without taking advice from DCVs, the most marvellous support organisation.”A Volunteer Manager

Over the year we were involved in local planning and policy making to ensure that the expertise, role and value of the voluntary and community sector is recognised by our partners within Dudley.

Our achievements throughout 2011/2012 included:

• Taking a leading role in ensuring cross sector partnership working and the voice of the voluntary sector is heard. Dudley CVS Chief Officer was elected Chair of LSP (DCP) in April 2011, subsequently chairing 4 meetings. The voluntary sector is helping to shape and influence the future and direction of the partnership.

• CVS Chief Officer being invited to join a shadow Health and Wellbeing Board, an important stepping stone towards the creation of a new board in 2013. Being part of the shadow Board is helping to promote integration and partnership working across all sectors. CVS also organised events to keep the impact of NHS reforms on the voluntary, community and faith sector in Dudley at the top of the agenda.

• Hosting Moving Forward Together events, also attended by senior Dudley councillors and officers.

Identifying the need, and by lobbying support to stimulate the development of local social enterprises, led to the Leader of Dudley MBC agreeing and announcing a new £250,000k Community Enterprise Fund.

• CVS also hosted the annual meeting with the Leader and Chief Executive of Dudley MBC, together with 60 voluntary sector colleagues.

• Taking a key role in the Winter Warmth Campaign and successfully bidding for a Department of Health grant of £120,000 to help vulnerable residents in Dudley borough to keep warm and well and escape the fuel poverty trap. Part of the grant was ring-fenced to support the voluntary sector has to offer, in particular the befriending services available for the isolated and most vulnerable.

• Facilitating 45 Community Care Forums and 10 Action for Disabled People and Carers (ADC) meetings and sessions. In total, the forums contributed 3,375 man hours of opportunities for issues to be raised and to agree actions. CVS officers also helped co-ordinate an Action for Disabled People and Carers (ADC) response to proposed local authority budget cuts.

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• Planning, promoting and co-hosting Physical & Sensory Disability Transport Conference. The conference offered opportunities for service users to raise issues and concerns with service providers.

• Building the profile and influence of Our Society in Dudley, helping local organisations to respond to the challenges and potential opportunities presented by de-centralisation of services. Through Our Society work, we were able to influence the development of Dudley MBC’s response to the Localism Act.

During 2012/2013 we aim to:

• Appoint a voluntary sector Governor to the Dudley Guest Hospital Foundation Trust Board.

• Support people, who don’t

traditionally take or use power, to work collectively, build confidence, plan for, and enter in to dialogue with those they seek to influence.

enhance the Voluntary and community sector’s role as an integral part of local planning and policy making.5

“Dudley CVs has enabled local people to build confidence, work together and start to make a difference in their neighbourhood”Big Lottery Spokesperson

Throughout 2011/2012 we have continued to promote the value of volunteering to individuals and volunteer - involving organisations. In July 2011, The Black Country Volunteer Centre Partnership (Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton) received Volunteer Centre Quality Assurance Accreditation. Dudley CVS played the leading role in the submission.

Some of our achievements in serving the needs of volunteers and volunteer organisations included:

• Dudley Volunteer Centre receiving 615 enquiries from would-be volunteers and conducting 425 face-to-face interviews.

• Promoting and co-ordinating the annual Hope Trust Operation Santa Appeal. The Christmas 2011 appeal was the most successful to date and involved greater participation from the local public and private sector, including banks, shops and supermarkets. 1,977 toys and gifts were donated, together with funds from Dudley Hope Charity. 3,835 local children benefited from the Hope Santa Appeal.

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• Designing and rolling out the ‘Introduction to Volunteering’ training course. The course gives individuals wishing to volunteer the opportunity to learn more about what it means to volunteer and how to maximise the opportunities presented by volunteering. The course was piloted with Woodside Children’s Centre in November 2011. 17 students successfully completed all components.

• Also developing a Work Programme which supports people into volunteering opportunities. Outcomes achieved include many individuals remaining in their volunteering role after a 4 week period. For some this has led to full or part-time paid employment.

• Celebrating the value and

importance of volunteering by hosting the annual Dudley Volunteer Awards evening. Over two hundred people from all sectors of the community acknowledged the invaluable work that volunteers carry out in Dudley borough.

• Arranging Volunteer Management Training workshops which attracted 194 attendees. The workshops provided interactive sessions on: Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers; Volunteer Induction; Volunteers and the Law and Managing and Supporting Volunteers.

• Providing 17 volunteer training courses for community and faith groups who work with children, young people and families. 75 people from 56 organisations attended various courses. Also supporting 36 groups and 20 children’s centres where CVS Officers provided resources and one-to-one training to help volunteer managers to recruit and manage their volunteers more effectively.

During 2012/2013 we aim to:

• Develop innovative ways to stimulate interest in volunteering and raise awareness of the differences volunteering makes through a variety of media.

promote, facilitate and deVelop Volunteering with indiViduals and Volunteer inVolVing organisations.6

“Volunteering has been my saviour; without volunteering i would have folded under the pressure”Dora Oleschuk

When the community of East Coseley was earmarked to receive £1million of Big Lottery money through a programme called Big Local, there was no set template to work from to get the ball rolling. Cue for East Coseley’s active residents and groups to work with Dudley CVS officers and learn together; in particular how to engage with the 10,000 people living in the area.

The first steps involved CVS staff giving support, encouragement and training to a small group of volunteers to produce a community newsletter which would help spread the word about Big Local and get the community connected. CVS officers made a successful bid for £4,500 to produce a newsletter and other marketing materials.

The Coseley Grapevine (as the newsletter is now called following a competition for name suggestions) helped to grow the number of people who wanted to be part of the team. People who previously had little or no experience of writing or producing a newsletter were inspired to become editors, roving reporters and photographers. After the first newsletter was printed, up stepped Coseley Comets, the local youth marching band, who delivered over 3,000 door-to-door copies of the Coseley Grapevine.

Dudley CVS launched Route Map in January 2012. Route Map aims to take some of the fear out of running small voluntary and community organisations through a step-by-step series of training and support in an easy to understand traffic-light system. One of the first groups to ‘sign up’ to Route Map and to benefit from support was 4Us, a youth group for young people with learning disabilities, based at The Source in Wordsley.

Members of 4Us particularly wanted to expand as an organisation by promoting what they do in order to recruit more committee members. But before this they needed to put in place internal structures and agree a set of objectives for the forthcoming

The tightly-knit group of volunteers involved in producing the newsletters has developed into the nucleus of the emerging East Coseley Community Forum, which will provide more opportunities for individuals and organisations to have

a voice. Dudley CVS has encouraged East Coseley to share ideas and experiences with other Big Local areas in the region.

Since working more intensively in East Coseley, Dudley CVS has strengthened its role as a trusted colleague of the local community, which has helped groups there to access CVS’s group support and given them a bigger opportunity to get involved in other borough-wide schemes. CVS has assisted several groups in East Coseley, encouraging them to be open to new ideas and initiatives and welcoming potential new members.

CVS officers worked hard to capture the enthusiasm of local community representatives and residents which resulted in unlocking a further £25,255 of funding to get even more people involved and have their say on how the £1million Big Local money should be invested in East Coseley over a ten year period. 2012/13 is set to be an exciting time for the East Coseley community and a busy time for CVS officers.

twelve months. Route Map lays out clearly what it means to be a voluntary and community organisation, with the ‘red traffic light’ section covering legal structures, constitutions, roles and responsibilities of committee members, financial management and insurance.

After ‘passing’ the red light section, 4Us committee members were in a much better position to promote the group and a new committee member was soon recruited. The group was also confident and competent enough to also make a successful application to Awards-for-All for £ 5,490. The funding was used for funding to provide a five day residential trip for young disabled people. This broadened the experiences of the young people, many

of whom have never spent time away from their parents or carers. The grant also paid for a digital camera and printer for the group.

Julia Greenaway of 4Us said that Route Map “provided the foundations to enable us to start building and developing. The way in which Route Map is delivered has shown the group where we are at and identify our strengths and weaknesses. It has helped us to take the group forward and support the youth service.” C

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Case study 1 - East Coseley Case study 2 - Route Map 4Us

“Welcome to Summerhill Community Centre” was the first blog post written by Gerry Clarke in October 2011. Since then his regular blogs have helped inform and share information with the local community - and further afield. “I have always been interested in writing,” said Gerry, a sprightly 74 year old former police officer who used to write for his church magazine. Gerry is the Chair of Summerhill Community Centre in Coseley and is also a volunteer reporter for the Coseley Grapevine newsletter group.

Gerry attended one of the regular CVS Social Media Surgeries in Dudley, more out of curiosity than any definite thought about what he wanted to learn. “I could operate a computer but had not really thought how the internet could be used to raise awareness about our community centre,” says Gerry. “I wanted to learn something that wouldn’t take up too much of my time but would give Summerhill Community Centre a presence on the internet. Raising the awareness about activities at the centre and bringing even more local people through our doors is vital to the centre’s long term sustainability. Social media was not a form of communication I was familiar with. But now I am blogging, we are communicating with a wider audience and hopefully encouraging more people, especially younger and young-at-heart Coseley residents, to make use of the centre. We also hope to attract new committee members.”

In early 2011 Dudley CVS was approached by a national charity, Urban Forum, to collaborate on an action research project. The aim of the Community Rights Made Real project was to test out how the community rights contained in the Government’s Localism Bill were being received by voluntary and community groups in Dudley; especially those who have traditionally lacked power. A priority was to develop and implement action to build better relationships between communities and Dudley Council, particularly around the things that community rights focus on: Service delivery, use of buildings and land, and neighbourhood planning.

Over the year that we delivered the project, which involved over 100 Dudley CVS members, evidence was found of an increasing awareness of Community Rights in Dudley. Our final survey, (which 96 people from local groups and organisations responded to) indicated that, while a few might like to take over services, (e.g. through the Community Right to Challenge) or be contracted to deliver them, a much larger number were keen to have influence over services or be involved in designing services. Half of the survey respondents would like more access to meeting rooms and outdoor spaces for events,

So what is a blog? A blog is basically someone’s thoughts (can be on any subject) that they wish to share by writing and posting onto the internet for anyone to see. Gerry Clarke uses his blog to promote news about community centre activities and inviting people to find out more about the East Coseley Big Local programme. Gerry is also using his new social media skills, including recently signing up to Twitter, to inspire other people to get online.

Dudley CVS Social Media Surgeries are hosted all over the borough to help local voluntary groups and charities to make the most of free internet tools. The surgeries are free and open to local people in the voluntary sector and offer an informal introduction to the world of social media including Facebook, Twitter and blogging. The surgeries are supported by volunteers and local businesses who donate meeting spaces free of charge.

while 40% were interested in sharing premises. Only 14% were interested in leasing or buying buildings or land.

Ideas developed during the project through action research, involving ten people from local groups, were presented to decision makers at Dudley Council in February 2011.

These ideas are being taken forward in 2012 through a series of collaborative projects as part of an initiative called MASH: Managing Assets and Services Holistically. Through MASH Dudley Council and local community, voluntary and faith groups will continue working together to think about new ways to share assets, skills, training and learning opportunities, buildings, furniture, fixtures and fittings.

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Case study 3 - Getting Your Message Out There Case study 4 - Building Better Relationships

In 2006, Dora and Andrii Oleschuk, together with their two small children, sought political asylum in the United Kingdom . For the nine years previous they had been outcast and endured attacks on themselves and their property in Dora’s homeland, Tunisia. The marriage between a Muslim Tunisian woman and a Ukrainian Christian did not have the blessing of Dora’s family or the extreme Muslim radical group, the Salafistes. They left behind two successful businesses ventures and their careers as a physiotherapist and chef.

In 2010 the Home Office relocated the family from Essex to Brierley Hill pending an application for refugee status. “Although I didn’t know it at the time, this was the best thing that had happened to us since we left Tunisia,” said Dora. “Asylum seekers are not allowed to work for money in the UK and we were told by some agencies that we couldn’t volunteer either. That information was incorrect.”

Desperate to do something with their time, Dora and Andreii visited the Dudley CVS Volunteer Centre. With a number of languages and business skills between them, they quickly found volunteering placements at the Insight for Carers Café in Brierley Hill. Andreii was the cook while Dora was front of house. Dora attended CVS Introduction to Volunteering and Managing Volunteers training workshops and was promoted to managing the café. Andrii also helped with ad hoc

It was Christmas 2010 and 23 year-old Sarah Freeman was enjoying a festive feast at the family home in Kingswinford. Sarah was pleased to see her grandmother relishing the home-cooked fayre, and her grandmother commented “that it’s not often these days that I get such a good meal.” Her grandmother also confided that she was “not enjoying the ready-meals she was being delivered” and often threw them away. Sarah vowed at that moment to start cooking home-made and well balanced meals for her grandmother each day.

“I loved cooking for her and from her frequent compliments I got the impression that she loved me cooking for her too! What’s more - it gave me a chance to see her more often.” But Sarah knew she couldn’t continue to cook for her grandmother in the long term and looked in vain for a service that could provide similar wholesome and fresh hot meals. When Sarah heard that the Meals-on-Wheels service run by the WRVS would be closing in April 2011, she knew she had to do something.

“I was concerned for residents who depended on receiving a hot daily meal so I had the idea of running my own hot meals-on-wheels service providing home-cooked meals to local elderly residents.” Sarah made a successful application for a loan from the Prince’s Trust to buy a delivery van and she called her new meals-on-wheels business The Gourmet.Demand for Sarah’s dinners quickly

volunteering as a translator and interpreter.

Before long both of them realised that volunteering was the road for them to integrate into the community and “giving something back to the UK for taking us in when we were desperate.”Dora has achieved various teaching qualifications and has moved into volunteering in the long-life learning sector and adult education, including teaching French. Andrii has been a volunteer Patient Friend at local hospitals and is training to be Red Cross Home from Hospital visitor. Dora said that it was very hard to leave everything they had in Tunisia and life as an asylum seeker in the UK can be very tough because of the policy of not being able to do paid-for work. “Many asylum seekers are educated and skilled but find it hard to integrate and learn about British life because they are effectively cut off from every day life. Volunteering has been my saviour; without volunteering I would have folded under the pressure. I think asylum seekers should be advised to visit their local volunteer centre as soon as possible. Asylum seekers have so much diversity to offer that can be mutually beneficial to themselves and the community.”

grew and her family helped out. Dad started delivering hot meals, Mom worked in the kitchen. Within a few months cooking operations moved to the nearby Bridge pub allowing the business to expand. Sarah worked for months unpaid and in October 2011 her sacrifices were rewarded ‘tenfold’ when she received a highly commended Young Volunteer of the Year at The Dudley Volunteer Awards. “The CVS helped me enormously with press and through them I met more contacts that would make big changes to the business,” said Sarah.

One chance meeting, with volunteer kitchen assistants at Wren’s Nest Community Centre, laid the foundations for partnership working and within weeks Sarah relocated her business to Wren’s Nest, working side by side with people “who share the same morals and objectives.” “Our meals-on-wheels isn’t just about the food,” added Sarah, “it’s about social interaction, which for those with no family close by, can be the one bit of human contact they get. We also give peace of mind to their family and friends as they know that someone is going in everyday to check they are okay.” Dudley CVS plans to nurture and support more social enterprises to evolve across Dudley borough as part of the Transforming Local Infrastructure project.

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Case study 5 - The Value of Volunteering Case study 6 - How a Social Enterprise is Born

Dora and Andril Oleschuk

Affiliated Members as of 31st March 2012

15th Stourbridge (Norton St. Michaels) Scout Group17th Stourbridge Pedmore St. Peter’s Scout Group1st Bromley-Pensnett Scout Group1st Coseley Scout Group1st Dawley Brook Scout Group1st Halesowen Boys Brigade1st Halesowen Scout Group1st Lower Gornal Scout Group1st Lye Boys’ Brigade1st Netherton Brownies1st Primrose Hill Brownies1st Primrose Hill Guides1st Quarry Bank Scout Group1st Stourbridge Company Girls Brigade1st Upper Gornal (St. Peters) Scout Group1st Wall Heath Scout Group1st Wordsley Scout Group2132 (Sedgley) A.T.C.2488 Kingswinford Squadron ATC2nd Amblecote Brownies2nd Brierley Hill Brownie Pack2nd Kingswinford Scout Group2nd Pensnett Rainbows & Brownies2nd Wordsley (Holy Trinity) Scout Group3rd Brierley Hill (St. Michael’s) Scout Group3rd Cradley Heath Brownies & Guides3rd Halesowen Girls’ Brigade3rd Kingswinford (Methodist) Scout Group3rd Sedgley Scout GroupA.T.C. 2156 (Brierley Hill) SquadronA.T.C. 223 Halesowen SquadronA.T.C. 451 Stourbridge SquadronAccess in DudleyAction HeartAfrican Caribbean Community Network (ACCN)African Community for Integration in BritainAge Concern Sedgley & DistrictAge Concern Stourbridge & Halesowen

Age UK DudleyAlbion Street ChurchAll Saints ChurchAlzheimer’s SocietyAman Women’s Development GroupAmblecote Christian CentreApni-Zaroorat Community NetworkAquariusB.T.C.V.BarnardosBeacon Centre for the BlindBeeches Youth & Community AssociationBerith FoundationBethel Mission Free ChurchBirmingham & WM Koi Carp ClubBlack Country Foodbank LtdBlack Country Living MuseumBlackheath Live At Home SchemeBlue Badge NetworkBramford Athletic FCBrier-Lea Over 50’s ClubBrierley Hill Community ForumBrierley Hill Dist. Comm. for the BlindBrierley Hill Methodist ChurchBrierley Hill ProjectBrierley Hill Sikh Welfare Cultural AssociationBrierley Hill Swimming ClubBritish Polio Fellowship Wolverhampton & Dudley BranchBrockmoor Community AssociationBrockmoor Darby & Joan ClubBrook BuddiesBrook Parent & Toddler GroupCaledonia Residents AssociationCalvary ChurchCamphill HousesCancer Support LtdCarters Lane Baptist ChurchCarters Lane Church 6.5 Special Luncheon ClubCastle Mobile Toy LibraryCentre for Equality and Diversity

Champions ChurchChawn Hill ChurchCherry Trees Kids ClubChildren’s Activity & Recreational ProjectsChrist Church LyeChrist Church, Quarry Bank (Brierley Hill Team)Church of God of ProphecyChurches Housing Association of Dudley & DistrictChurches Together Halesowen Welcome GroupCitizens Advice Bureau (Brierley Hill)Citizens Advice Bureau (Dudley)Citizens Advice Bureau (Halesowen)Citizens Advice Bureau (Stourbridge)Colman Hill & Doverdale Close NHWCommunity TransportCounty Air AmbulanceCradley Community CentreCrestwood School Parent Support GroupCRI Atlantic HouseCrossroads Care DudleyCruse Bereavement CareDingle Community AssociationDudley & Sandwell Ethnic Minorities Support GroupDudley & Wolverhampton Life GroupDudley & W’ton Spina Bifida & Hydrocephallus Assoc.Dudley AdvocacyDudley African Caribbean Carers & Disability Support GroupDudley Arts CouncilDudley Asian Women’s NetworkDudley Autistic Support GroupDudley Carers in Partnership for Mental HealthDudley Caribbean & Friends AssociationDudley Central African AssociationDudley Central Mosque & Muslim CentreDudley Centre for Inclusive LivingDudley Counselling CentreDudley Deaf Sports & Social ClubDudley District Citizens Advice BureauxDudley District Scout CouncilDudley Dyslexia Association

Dudley Federation of Tenants & Residents AssociationsDudley Fields Tenants & Residents AssociationDudley Foster Care AssociationDudley Fostering ServiceDudley Hearts Undergoing Support (HUGS)Dudley Hospital RadioDudley Leisure Netball ClubDudley Lions ClubDudley Macular Disease Support GroupDudley MINDDudley Mobile Toy LibraryDudley OlympicsDudley Sea CadetsDudley Social Business PartnershipDudley Stroke AssociationDudley Town Football ClubDudley Voices for ChoiceDudley Wine CircleDudley Wood Athletic Football ClubDuncan Edwards Junior Football ClubDynamic Time OutEarls GymnasticsEbenezer Baptist Church“Ebenezer’s “”Little Stars”””Ebonita HousingEhsas CarersElizabeth House Residents AssociationEnville Street Dramatic SocietyFamous 5Fantasy Dance GroupFens Pool Voluntary AssociationFriends & Residents of Buffery Park AssociationFriends of Huntingtree ParkFriends of Netherton ParkFriends of Oakley Memorial ParkFriends of Priory Park & The GreenFriends of Silver Jubilee Park (Coseley)Friends of St. Mary’s Communal GardenFriendship ClubGentlemen Songsters Male Voice Choir

Girlguiding - Hagley DivisionGornal Athletic Football ClubGreenlight & Muslim Youth ForumGroundwork West MidlandsGuiding in Wychbury DistrictGuru Nanak Singh SabhaGuru Teg Bahadar Sikh TempleHalas HomesHalesowen Blind AssociationHalesowen District ScoutsHalesowen Project for the ElderlyHalesowen Sector Neighbourhood WatchHalesowen/Dudley Yemeni Association CentreHalfpenny Green Air ScoutsHanbury Hill Baptist ChurchHawbush ProjectHeadway Black CountryHigh Oak Youth GroupHimley Road Methodist ChurchHoly Trinity, Amblecote (CofE)Home-Start DudleyHumaara ProjectHurst Hill Community AssociationJigsaw Youth TheatreKen Hand Memorial Cancer ResearchKhushi Women’s Happiness GroupKIDS Orchard PartnershipKingfisher CharityKingsley Olympic F.C.Kingswinford & Stourbridge Lions ClubKingswinford Ashton Juniors Badminton ClubKingswinford Christian CentreKingswinford Community AssociationKingswinford Methodist ChurchKiran ProjectLangstone SocietyLions Boxing ClubLiving SpringsLower Gornal Ladies Development GroupLunch on the Run

Lutley Community AssociationLye & Wollescote Disabled ClubLye & Wollescote PartnershipLye & Wollescote Sons of RestLye Amateur Boxing ClubLye Skills GroupManor Way Pre-SchoolMary Stevens HospiceMata Da Mandir (Hindu Cultural Association)Meadow Road Youth CentreMethodist Church (Dudley & Netherton Circuit)Midlands Air AmbulanceMultiple Sclerosis Society (Dudley & District Branch)NacroNational Osteoporosis Society (Dudley & District)Netherend Neighbourhood CentreNetherton & Dudley Yemeni Education and Cultural ProjectNetherton & Woodside Partnership MovementNetherton District Senior Section (Rangers)Netherton Lodge Lunch ClubNetherton News GroupNew Hall Project 20/20New Testament Welfare AssociationNine Locks Community AssociationNo Limits Community Project: Working 4 AutismNorth Dudley Neighbourhood Watch AssociationNorton Scouts & GuidesNorton Sunshine ClubOasis ProjectOpen StageOriel Care Home LimitedOur Lady of Lourdes Mums & Toddlers GroupOver 50’s Club (Little Cornbow)Overend Methodist MissionPark Congregational ChurchParkinson’s UK Dudley BranchPedmore Fields Residents AssociationPedmore Mothers’ Union (St.Peter’s)Pedmore Senior Citizen’s Club

PehchanPensnett & Bromley Social Services For The AgedPensnett Cricket FellowshipPensnett Panthers Football ClubPhase TrustPhoenix Centre, Specialist Pre-SchoolPhoenix Mobile Toy LibraryPrimrose Hill Congregational ChurchPriory Park Amateur Boxing ClubPriory Pumas Football ClubQuarry Bank Community AssociationQuarry Bank Congregational ChurchQuarry Bank Labour ClubRainbow Community CentreRed DragonRelateRethink Mental IllnessRevival FiresRollercoastersRoseland House Lunch ClubRoyal Military Police AssociationRufford Primary SchoolRussells Hall Youth Centre/NCSaltmine TrustSalvation ArmySalvation Army (Citadel) StourbridgeSamaritansSandwell Women’s Aid/HumdardSatellite Art Group St. Chads Church HallScope (Stourbridge)Sedgley & District Community AssociationSedgley Community ChurchSenior Citizens Enterprise Woodwork GroupSeniors Luncheon ClubShell Corner PartnershipShree Gujarati Hindu CentreSide By Side Theatre CompanySikh Youth Alliance (Dudley)Smilers ClubSSAFA Forces Help Dudley Division

St. Andrews ChurchSt. Andrews Residents Trust LtdSt. Augustine’s ChurchSt. Barnabas ChurchSt. Francis Church & Parish CentreSt. James’ Church - WollastonSt. John Ambulance (Stourbridge)St. John Ambulance (Youth Services)St. John’s Community AssociationSt. Mark’s HouseSt. Michael’s Church (Brierley Hill)St. Paul’s Church BlackheathSt. Paul’s Church, Lower GornalSt. Paul’s Community & Learning CentreSt. Thomas’ Scout GroupSt. Thomas’s & Saint Luke’s ChurchesSt. Thomas’s Community NetworkStambermill St. Marks Scout GroupStour Valley District GuidesStourbridge & District Scout CouncilStourbridge & Halesowen LIFE GroupStourbridge Arm Canoe ClubStourbridge Boxing ClubStourbridge Cricket ClubStourbridge Oldswinford 9th Scout GroupStourbridge Radio GroupStourbridge Street PastorsStourbridge Stroke ClubStourbridge Tai Chi Chuan Practice GroupStraits Community ChurchSummit House Support LtdSupport Action for Europeans (S.A.F.E)Support Group for Pain ReliefSwings & RoundaboutsT.O.A.D.S.TenovusThe Cyber Bus ProjectThe Dudley Duke of Edinburgh’s Award AssociationThe Hub Youth, Zion NetworkThe Prince’s Trust

Thomas Pocklington TrustThorns Community CommitteeTop Church Training Project LtdUK Islamic MissionUpper Gornal Kids ClubUpper Gornal Pensioners ClubUpper Gornal Voluntary Recreational AssociationVictim Support DudleyVictory Outreach UKVolunteer Reading HelpW.R.V.S.Wall Heath Community AssociationWall Heath Townswomen’s GuildWallows FLAG Community AssociationWalsall Street TeamsWell TrustWest Mercia ScoutsWest Midlands Special Needs Transport (Ring & Ride)What? CentreWithymoor Colts F.C.Withymoor Community AssociationWithymoor Pre-SchoolWollaston Farm Tenants & Residents AssociationWollaston Village Community AssociationWollescote St. Andrews Scout GroupWomen’s Awareness AssociationWoodcraft Folk-High AcresWoodside Community AssociationWorcesters & Foresters Regimental AssociationWordsley & District Community AssociationWordsley District GuidesWordsley Housing SocietyWrens Nest Community CentreYemeni Women’s GroupYouth 4EM West Midlands PoliceYouth NewsZoar Methodist Church

Registered Charity No. 517766. Incorporated under the 1985 Companies Act No. 1998105

Website: www.dudleycvs.org.uk

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Tel: 01384 573381

E-mail: info@dudleycvs.org.uk

Our Mission Statement:

‘To develop a high quality, proactive voluntary sector for the benefit of the residents of the Dudley borough by positively engaging partners in support of voluntary activity’